English 2, Section 10036: College Composition
Fall 2010: 9:30-10:45 Tu&Th in Room 801
Office Hours & Place: 7:30-7:55 and 11:00-12:20 Tu&Th in Room 717
Instructor Dave Badtke
(707)334-4882
[email protected]
Online Reference: www.Badtke.com or www.QCounty.com (follow link to Solano College classes)
Assignments
Week 4, beginning 2/8/2010:
Round
Tuesday:
• Note above that I’ve added office hours from 7:30 to 7:55 in the morning in room 717 on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. Come see me for help.
• Last week I thought that your first paper would probably be due by Thursday, 2/18, but that
will probably not work because of President’s Holiday, which means that there are no classes
Friday through next Tuesday. So your paper will probably be due on Thursday, 2/25.
• Last week I gave you a quiz on which I asked you to write about the plot structure of Eudora
Welty’s “A Worn Path.” Those of you who read the story did fine, but many didn’t read the
story. I’m hoping that was just an anomaly. Make sure you do the reading.
• We started to go over the plot of Welty’s
story, but didn’t quite finish, so we’ll
continue that discussion today. And we’ll Character
look at the theme of both this story and Properties
Oates’s, which we also haven’t discussed.
• Because we ran out of time, we also
didn’t discuss E. M. Forster’s character
Static
Dynamic
descriptions, so we’ll spend a little time
talking about whether Phoenix Jackson
is round or flat, static or dynamic, or
maybe even stock.
• Then we’ll discuss character more,
focusing in greater detail on how a
character, if the character seems “real,” is
dealing in some way with his or her soma
(body), psyche (ego synthesis, identity
coherence), and ethos (ethics, the cultural
organization, dependence and interdependence of the character in a culture).
• In addition I want to introduce the idea of a character’s dialectical synthesis and apply this to
Paley’s, Oates’s and Welty’s stories.
• This will lead us to your first paper assignment, which you should be thinking about as you
read and as we discuss the four stories I’ve asked you to read:
a. Pick one of the following stories: “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven”
by Sherman Alexie; “A & P” by John Updike; “Brownies” by ZZ Packer; or
“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver;
b. In three- to four- pages, 750 to 1000 words, examine how the theme of the story is
expressed though plot and character. Since character actions take place in a setting
and are expressed with a particular tone and style as well as point of view, bring these
elements into your examination as well.
c. Include in your examination at least three references to ideas relating to stories from
Flat
Charters or other sources.
d. Your paper needs to follow MLA conventions and include in-text citations for quotes,
summaries or paraphrases. You paper must also include a Works Cited. For an example MLA
paper, follow this link.
e. If your paper is handed in on the due date, Thursday, 2/15, you will be encouraged to do a
rewrite, which will be due one week after I hand your graded paper back to you. Remember,
however, that I will not grade your paper the first time you hand it in if you do not write a
complete, college-level paper. In other words, do not consider this first submission to be a
rough, incomplete draft on which I will help you work. If you would like to get feedback on
the paper before handing it in, please see me during office hours.
• While there are many different ways that you can approach your paper, the following template may
help you with this first assignment:
a. ¶1: Briefly introduce the plot and character and end with your thesis, which will deal with
the story’s theme. Remember that a thesis is a debatable proposition supported by evidence.
b. ¶2: Examine the beginning of the story in terms of setting, point of view, tone and style,
which is the exposition, and also examine the conflicts that are raised.
c. ¶3: Examine the middle of the story, the various complications raised by the character’s
actions, state of mind, and motivations.
d. ¶4: Examine the end of the story in terms of turning point, climax, anti-climax and
resolution, but avoid writing something like the climax of the story is X.
e. ¶5: Conclude by returning to your thesis. By this point you should have supported your
interpretation of the theme with evidence from the story and other sources, so don’t
summarize or repeat these ideas. Instead, explain the implications of the story and the
importance of the theme. Remember Ira Glass’s admonition to make the why evident: There
needs to be a moment of reflection that’s significant. Think, e.g., of Connie in Oates’s story,
who learns too late the importance of family and friends and the need to focus on others
rather than herself. In your conclusion you would need to examine why this is important and
why, for example, this ending might be more compelling than a happy ending in which she
found a way out or was able to call the police or was able to repel Arnold Friend.
• We’ll also discuss the grading rubric for this paper.
• At some point either today or Thursday I’ll give you a brief quiz on Alexie and Carver.
• And then we’ll discuss these stories, focusing first on your journal questions:
a. Detail the plot’s journey.
b. What is the POV and how does this affect the story?
c. With whom does the protagonist primarily interact?
d. What role does setting play?
e. How do voice and style help you understand the characters and their conflicts?
f. If you were to interview the protagonist at the end of the story, what might he or she tell you
about what she learned from his or her experience?
g. Is what they tell you consistent with what you think they should have learned?
Homework due Thursday:
1. Reading Assignment: 1) Read John Updike’s “A & P,” pages 547 to 552, and 2) ZZ Packer’s
“Brownies,” pages 472 to 488.
2. Journal Assignment: Address the questions above for these two stories.
3. Extra (the same as last week): Memorize A. E. Housman’s “Loveliest of trees, the cherry now,”
page 765, and drop by during office hours to recite the poem and discuss its journey with me.
Thursday:
• We’ll continue our discussion of the stories and your paper.
• I’ll probably give you a quiz on Updike’s and Packer’s stories.
Homework due next Thursday:
1. Paper & Journal Assignment: Pick a story that you’re going to write about. Outline the story in
your journals and write your first draft. Remember to follow the requirements listed above. Bring
Cartoons from the Issue of February 1…
your questions about the paper and story to2/8/2010
class.
S lide S how
Cartoons from the Issue
2/8/2010
Cartoons from the Issue of February 1…
A collection of cartoons from the issue, plus this week’s Cartoo
Contest.
February 1, 2010
2/8/2010
Cartoons from the Issue of February 8…
S lide S how
Cartoons from the Issue
A collection of cartoons from the issue, plus this week’s Ca
Contest.
February 8, 2010
newyorker.com/…/cartoons_20100125…